An Odd Couple That Works...Tomato And Pomegranate Salad

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Pomegranates are not high on my list.  It's not that I don't like them, I just don't like them enough to put them in my grocery cart.  The thought of getting to the little seeds, no matter how pretty and flavorful they are, is enough to discourage me from even trying them; but that all changed last week when I noticed them in plastic boxes at both Whole Foods and my grocery store.  Why not... it was Valentine's Day and I had been intrigued by a recipe I had seen a few months ago in Yotam Ottolenghi's last book Plenty More: Vibrant Vegetable Cooking from London's Ottolenghi.

Coincidentally, I had also been intrigued by the boxes of mixed tomatoes Costco was selling, another ingredient in the same recipe.  I already had pomegranate molasses from this chicken recipe so the signs were auspicious.

You have heard me say this before but I will say it again...the genius of this man knows no bounds.  The things he comes up with are beyond comprehension sometimes; but it all works. You can trust him and that is one of the things that made Julia Child great...she never let you down.  Plus, there is harmony in his recipes.  They sing to you, its an hallelujah chorus on steroids, but enough said.

This recipe has only one problem.  There is a lot of chopping to do.You have to cut all the vegetables in a 1/4 inch dice and it takes time (and you get bored).  Make sure you have a very sharp knife.  I diced tomatoes for awhile, then switched to red pepper, then tomatoes, red onions and watched t.v. Some of them were 3/8 inch but I hid them underneath.

You can get pomegranate molasses at Whole Foods or Amazon.  You can make your own by simply reducing Pom pomegranate juice.  Although it would not be the same, you could substitute balsamic vinegar for both the white vinegar and pomegranate molasses.  Do try to get the latter, it is, after all the point of this recipe and it keeps for awhile.   You will use again and it is great for basting when you start grilling this Spring.

It's been awhile since I last posted but I haven't felt up to it.  I have lost 15 lbs and I am delighted.  I only eat when I'm hungry and I don't think much about food but this recipe was too exciting not to post.  I will be back, as MacArthur said, but only when I have something really nice and different to contribute. After almost seven years it was becoming an obligation and that defeats the purpose of this blog.  Thanks to all of you who have kept on subscribing and accessing the blog.  Sorry to have kept you waiting so long.

Yotam Ottolenghi's Tomato And Pomegranate Salad 

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups/200 g red cherry tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch/5-mm dice

1 1/3 cups/200 g yellow cherry tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch/5-mm dice

1 1/3 cups/200 g tiger or plum tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch/5-mm dice

18 ounce/500 g medium slicing tomatoes (about 5), cut into 1/4-inch/5-mm dice

1 red pepper, cut into 1/4-inch/5-mm dice (1 cup/120 g)

1 small red onion, finely diced (rounded 3/4 cup/120 g)

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

2 teaspoons white wine vinegar

1 1/2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses

1/4 cup/60 ml olive oil, plus extra to finish

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large pomegranate, seeds removed (1 cup/170 g seeds)

1 tablespoon small oregano leaves

Preparation:

Dice the tomatoes, pepper and red onion and add to a medium bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, allspice, vinegar, pomegranate molasses, olive oil, and a scant 1/2 teaspoon salt until well combined. Pour this over the tomato mixture and gently mix.

Arrange the tomato mixture and its juices on a large, flat plate. Sprinkle the pomegranate seeds and oregano over the top. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and serve.

Cook's Note
Although it says it serves 4, this recipe really serves 6.  Make sure you don't over mix the tomatoes or they will get mushy.

All photos Lindaraxa

Café Brûlot... A Perfect Ending For A Romantic Dinner

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For more than a century, both Antoine’s and Galatoire’s, in New Orleans, have been serving refined French-Creole cuisine in their gilded dining rooms. The epitome of their old-world, over-the-top grandeur? Café Brûlot .

Café Brulot Diabolique, or “Devilishly Burned Coffee,” was invented at Antoine’s Restaurant by Jules Alciatore, the son of the restaurant’s founder.  It became especially popular during the Prohibition as a means of concealing alcohol.

Today, the drink is found at only a few restaurants, such as Antoine’s, Galatoire’s and Arnaud’s. The preparation is a spectacle in itself – all ingredients are artfully combined tableside in ornate bowls. Once the alcohol is added, the waiter adds flame to the concoction, ladling the flaming liquid into cups and in some cases, onto the table to create a fiery display.

Dining in New Orleans is hardly ever ordinary, and ordering Café Brulot is the perfect way to ensure an exciting finale to an amazing meal.  In the original recipe a server ladles flaming brandy-spiked coffee down a spiral of orange zest into a silver bowl heated by a ring of fire.

Don’t try that at home, especially on Valentine's Day.  The last thing you need is your partner's hair on fire before the real big event (wink) takes place.  So skip the theatrics and play it safe by making it this way.  Here,  the spice- and citrus-infused spirits are ignited in the saucepan,  the coffee added, and the glowing drink served in demitasse cups. It’s a less risky—but equally astounding—spectacle.

Should you find your calling in preparing Cafe Brulot, you might want to bid on these at auction:

  

But before, you might want to pay a visit to New Orleans and see how the pros make it.

Café Brûlot
Spiced Coffee with Brandy and Orange

Ingredients:

• 1 orange
• 12 whole cloves
• 1/3 cup brandy
• 1/3 cup Cointreau or other orange-flavored liqueur
• 3 (2-inch-long) strips of lemon zest
• 2 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks
• 1 tablespoons sugar
• 3 cups hot very strong brewed coffee (preferably chicory coffee blend or French roast)

Preparation:

Remove zest from orange in a single spiral with a sharp vegetable peeler or paring knife. Stud orange zest with cloves. Add to a wide heavy medium saucepan with brandy, liqueur, lemon zest, cinnamon, and sugar. Warm through over medium heat, stirring. Tilt pan over gas burner (or use a long match) to ignite carefully (flames will shoot up). While flames subside, slowly pour in hot coffee. Ladle into small cups (preferably demitasse).

Recipe Gourmet Magazine
Photos Google

Chocolate Glazed Chocolate Tart

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To me Valentine's Day is all about chocolate, roses and Champagne and I can' think of anything better than this easy yet rich dessert to celebrate the day.

A triple layer of crumbly crust, a truffle-like interior, and a high gloss shiny glaze make this elegant chocolate tart the highlight of Valentine's Day.  Go out to dinner if you must; but come home to this and a glass of Champagne!

Ingredients:

For crust

• 9 (5- by 21/4-inch) chocolate graham crackers (not chocolate-covered), finely ground (1 cup)
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup sugar

For filling

• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 9oz bittersweet chocolate (not more than 65% cacao if marked), chopped
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For glaze

• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 3/4oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon light corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon warm water

• Equipment:

  a 9-inch round fluted tart pan (1 inch deep) with removable bottom

Directions:

Make crust:

• Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
• Stir together all ingredients and press evenly onto bottom and 3/4 inch up side of tart pan. Bake until firm, about 10 minutes. Cool on a rack 15 to 20 minutes.

Make filling:

• Bring cream to a boil, then pour over chocolate in a bowl and let stand 5 minutes. Gently stir until smooth. Whisk together eggs, vanilla, and salt in another bowl, then stir into melted chocolate.
• Pour filling into cooled crust. Bake until filling is set about 3 inches from edge but center is still wobbly, 20 to 25 minutes. (Center will continue to set as tart cools.) Cool completely in pan on rack, about 1 hour.

Make glaze:

• Bring cream to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in chocolate until smooth. Stir in corn syrup, then warm water.
• Pour glaze onto tart, then tilt and rotate tart so glaze coats top evenly. Let stand until glaze is set, about 1 hour.

Cooks’ note: Tart is best the day it is made but can be made, without glaze, 1 day ahead and chilled. Bring to room temperature before glazing.

 

Recipe: Gourmet Magazine

                                                                                                                                       

Valentine's Day...Lobster Newburg

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When it comes to Valentine's Day there are only two things to think about as far as I'm concerned, filet mignon or lobster.  The other must is chocolate for desert (here).  The rest is up for grabs.

A couple of years ago, I gave you a Filet Mignon With Roquefort Sauce as a main course for a Valentine's dinner.  There is also a recipe for Filet Mignon with Bernaise Sauce on the blog.

This year I am making you work a little, but not a lot.   If he or she is a lobster lover,  Lobster Newburg will be impressive...just what you want. It is much easier and less labor intensive than the Lobster Thermidor I posted for New Year's Eve but just as delicious.

Gastronomic lore tells us that the forerunner of this famous lobster dish was actually created at Delmonico's, the well-known New York City restaurant, during its heyday in the latter part of the last century. Mr. Ben Wenburg (or Wenberg, as some believe), a Delmonico's habitué during this period, is said to have devised a dish made with seafood, cream, and egg yolks. It was called Wenburg on the menu until some time later when the epicurean Mr. Wenburg became involved in a dispute with the management. Thereafter, the restaurant renamed the offering seafood "Newburg," and a classic was born.

A word to those who are squeamish about boiling live lobsters (I am).  Most fishmongers or reputable food markets will be happy to cook the lobster for you. Tell them to undercook by a couple of minutes and take the dead things home in a bag and immediately  proceed with the rest of the recipe.  Problem solved.

Check out Omnomicon's blog for the most beautiful photos I have ever seen on how to make this delicious dish and go for it! If that doesn't inspire you, nothing else will. (her recipe is different)

The recipe below is for 6 people, but if you serve it for Valentine's Day to just one significant other it can be easily adjusted.


Serves 6
 

Ingredients

• three 1 1/2-pound live lobsters
• 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon medium-dry Sherry
• 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon brandy
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated paprika*
• salt to taste
• 4 large egg yolks, beaten well
• toast points or white rice as an accompaniment
• Tarragon for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Into a large kettle of boiling salted water plunge the lobsters, head first, and boil them, covered, for 8 minutes from the time the water returns to a boil.

Transfer the lobsters with tongs to a cutting board and let them cool until they can be handled. Break off the claws at the body and crack them.

Remove the claw meat and cut it into 1-inch pieces. Halve the lobsters length-wise along the undersides, remove the meat from the tails, discarding the bodies but saving the tails, and cut it into 1-inch pieces.

In a heavy saucepan brown the lobster tail shells on medium high in 1/2 the butter for a couple of minutes.  Remove from heat and discard.  Add the additional butter and the lobster meat and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes.  Add 2 tablespoons of the Sherry and 3 tablespoons of the brandy, and cook the mixture, stirring, for 2 minutes.

Transfer the lobster meat with a slotted spoon to a bowl.

Add the cream to the Sherry mixture and boil the mixture until it is reduced to about 1 cup.

Reduce the heat to low and stir in the remaining 1 teaspoon Sherry, the remaining 1 teaspoon brandy, the paprika, and salt to taste.

Whisk in the yolks, cook the mixture, whisking constantly, until it registers 140°F. on a deep-fat thermometer, and cook it, whisking, for 3 minutes more.

Stir in the lobster meat and serve the lobster Newburg over the toast or, alternatively, over rice. Garnish with fresh tarragon.

*The original recipe called for 1/4 tsp. nutmeg and cayenne to taste.  I much prefer the use of paprika in this dish.  It is definitely more traditional 

Separated By A Revolution, Reunited On Facebook

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My cousin Felipe and me on my mule at the rice plantation, early 50's

In the mid 1950's my father bought some land in the southern part of the province of Camaguey, Cuba and started a  rice plantation.  It was more a way of gaining independence from the family than anything else, for we had plenty to live on from the sugar business that belonged to my paternal grandmother's family. Also, rice presented a good opportunity to diversify from a sugar intensive economy and many planters were already doing so as early as the 1950's.  The land that he bought was near the coast, still virgin and uncultivated, and  in the middle of nowhere. It was, though, the perfect soil for the cultivation of rice.

X marks the spot!

The first two years of this endeavor were spent in the city of Camaguey were I attended a catholic girls' school and led a fairly normal life.   Later on my mother decided her place was with her husband and packed up her family and moved to the plantation to be with him.  Now, I have to use the word plantation here in a very lose way,  for the house left a lot to be desired having been erected primarily for my father and my grandfather when he came to visit.  Nobody ever thought my mother would transfer her family from Havana to live full time in a place so far away from civilization.  Little did they know her. The one luxury we did have was air condition, without which my father would not do without, but the rest was pretty rudimentary

My mother, my brother and me circa 1956

The trip from the city of Camaguey to the main house took 4 1/2 hours by jeep on bumpy and extremely dusty and unpaved roads that had recently been added to get from the nearest town to the plantation.  Luckily, my father later purchased a small Cessna plane and an airstrip was built so we could make the trip by air in an hour or less.

Together with the family and our nanny came a young girl that my mother had hired in Havana to live with us and keep me up to speed with my studies.  This was my third grade, I was 9 and she must have been in her early 20's.   She had a masters degree from the University of Havana.

J. at the rice plantation circa 1956

Those two years that we spent in the rice plantation were the basis of what makes me who I am today.  My parents both loved structure, (he was the product of an American boarding school education and my mother was just born that way), and life ran on a strict schedule day in and day out.  We rose at 7, breakfasted at 8 and by 9 o clock teacher and student were in the school room (the guest house) having our lessons that ran like clockwork, just like at school.  At noon my father came in from the fields and we met in the big house for lunch, followed by a nap or siesta until 2:00 pm. Afternoon lessons lasted until 4 when the horses would be brought around and we all went for a  ride.  The family would then gather to play croquet in the garden until the mosquitoes became insufferable and after dinner, homework and a little reading  lights went out at 10.00.  After that time the whole place went dark and whatever happened afterwards was done with a flashlight.  Weekends were the most fun, for we were near the coast and had a small boat to go fishing, swimming and alligator hunting!

J. with my brother at the plantation

J with my brother at our house in Varadero

I don't know where the food came from, for there wasn't a store for miles, but my mother had a big vegetable garden with everything you could ever need.   We had cows and chickens, so fresh eggs and milk were abundant.  Once a month my father would fly to the city and bring back groceries including bread. I can tell you the food was pretty good and no one ever starved.

We both adapted quickly to the schedule and she became a part of our little family.  I have never asked her what ever possessed her to go on such an adventure, but she took to it like a duck to water. I have never seen her since then.  As a matter of fact, I have never thought about her except in the context of remembering those times. I was, after all, only 9 and it was all so long ago.

Four years later, in 1960,  my family left Cuba never to return again.

Photo of me in my uniform, dedicated to "Miss Jane".  She has kept it all these years.

About a month ago, a lady contacted me on Facebook and asked me if I was the daughter of so and so and had I lived in a rice plantation in Camaguey, Cuba.  I answered back in the affirmative and she wrote back that she was the daughter of a girl who had been my teacher, who was still in Cuba, and would very much like to get in touch with me.  Heavens! A couple of days later, she called and we spoke after 55 years.

 I have to say that the conversation was one of the hardest, emotionally, that I have had in a long time for it never left the context of those years.  All she wanted to tell me was how fondly she remembered those times and how she had never forgotten us.  She had pictures, she had letters, recipes, there was nothing she didn't remember.  If you think that she now must be in her 70's and her student the grandmother of two, you will find this quite endearing and a little hard to believe. Later on, I did some research and found she had been quite successful in the Cuba I left behind, holding senior posts in the departments of Education and Culture, as well as being an accomplished and recognized poet and the winner of several prizes in Literature and Poetry.

The student with her granddaughter

It is obvious that our political ideologies are at opposite ends, and I am only mentioning this because I realize now how big a role human emotions play in the big scheme of things.... that when all is said and done, love does conquer all.  She is the only person I  know in Cuba today and one I would love to sit with and talk to someday.   I want to hear the other side, the side that stayed behind and lived under the present regime and endured.     Perhaps a teacher and her student can lay the foundations for a better dialogue.  God knows no one else has been able to.
.

The photos above, except the last two and the one on top, are ones she had kept all these years and were sent to me after we spoke on the telephone. 

On Valentine's Day I received a link to her blog with a note and this poem.   It is called The Girl From The Rice Plantation.  To my readers who do not speak English I apologize but it would be too hard to translate.

                     ***************************************************

A veces la vida, es un misterio igual que la poesía.

¿Quién me iba a decir, Julietica, que después de cincuenta años, iba a volver a encontrar a aquella criatura rubia de ojos azules, de inquieta inteligencia, a quién llegué a querer de manera muy especial y que además, se acordara de mí?

Tanto deseaba que esto sucediera, tantas veces pensé en ti, que la vida me ha dado la alegría de este reencuentro maravilloso.

Para Julieta, son estos versos:

La niña de la Arrocera

Pequeña niña rubia de los ojos azules

aquella que reía con su risa de sueños

la que cantaba alegre como sinsonte puro

la que giraba en danzas sobre la verde hierba.

Pequeña niña rubia de los ojos azules

niña de pecho tierno con las manos de espumas
dueña de los cielos despertaba caricias

en la llanura inmensa que la abrazaba toda.

Pequeña niña rubia de los ojos azules

que le nacen retoños y crecen como frutos

ahora te estremecen tus cálidos enojos

cuando aquellos caprichos dejaron de ser tuyos

para ser de tus flores que sembraste en racimos

para ganarle al tiempo para escalar la aurora

para probar futuro para mezclar lo bueno.

Pequeña niña rubia de los ojos azules

a escondidas te fuiste de mis antiguas fotos

¡y te encontré en el mundo!

Febrero del 2011

Petit Pots de Creme Au Chocolat

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I can't think of a better dessert to enjoy with a good bottle of wine than chocolate pots de creme.  Make them the night before so they are really cold the next day.  You can whip some heavy cream at the last minute, mainly for decoration, for they scrumptious and rich on their own.  Make sure you use the best chocolate you can find as it is all about the chocolate...nothing else.

Ingredients

1 cup heavy cream
4 oz (4 squares) semisweet baking chocolate
2 to 3 TB sugar
1 whole egg plus 2 large egg yolks
1 TB espresso
orange peel
Pinch salt

4 1/2 cup ramekins


Directions

The heavy cream with orange zest and coffee are heated to a simmer then steeped 5 minutes off the heat.

The egg and egg yolks are whisked with the sugar until the yolks are pale and thick. Then the hot cream is slowly stirred into the egg mixture.

The custard is then poured through a sieve, (which removes the orange zest and any coagulated bits of egg) into a bowl with broken chocolate pieces (4 oz unsweetened). It is stirred to melt the chocolate.  You can add 1 tsp of vanilla extract here if you wish.

The petits pots are filled with the chocolate mixture, then placed in a baking pan with hot water about half way up the pots. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Top loosely with aluminum foil to prevent from crusting.  They are done when they have puffed into a slight dome but still tremble a bit.  Cool briefly then refrigerate to chill thoroughly.

Adapted from Julia Child

A Valentine's Dinner For Four

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Yes, you read it right, this dinner is for four people.  This year I decided to put together a menu for four great friends or two couples.  Why not, I'm sure there are some of you out there who are, shall we say, past the initial stages of pajama grams and romantic dinners a deux.  Once you get into the twilight years of your marriage, there's no reason you can't invite another couple to celebrate the day with you ...or, if you are single and there's no one in sight, cook a dinner for four good friends and have a good time instead of moping around.

Going out to dinner on a night like this is asking for trouble.  You can bet your bottom dollar that it will be expensive and mediocre at best.  When restaurants get this full on an evening like Valentine's Day, it is unlikely that you will get good service or an excellent meal.  Trust me, I've been there.  The food and the wines will be pricier since they know you are at their mercy.   Stay home, cook something elegant and easy and spend the extra dollars on a good bottle of wine or champagne.  That's what I would do.

I have put together a menu which takes no time to prepare.  If you decide to spend it alone with your sweet pea it is very easy to adjust. 

As an example of what you can enjoy at home, I have picked out two wines from Sherry Lehman* that represent excellent value.  If you are in the New York City area this might just be your lucky day.  Both add up to around $70. You can always have Champagne with the oysters if you want (that would probably be my choice). The Margaux is from a top chateau and an excellent value.  I have chosen it because Margaux is renown for producing the most seductive wines of Bordeaux, so what could be more appropriate n'est ce pas?  If you want something full bodied, you might want to try a Saint Julien, although they are a tad more expensive.  Just make sure you pick something that has some age and is ready to drink now.

I am suggesting the scalloped oysters as an easy way to prepare this "aphrodisiac".  It is an old myth that oysters enhance the libido but it's fun and a  good topic of conversation when they show up at times like these.  Sorry to crash your party.  With a menu like this though, I would definitely start with something fishy, like smoked salmon, shrimp or crabmeat which you can purchase fresh at your fishmonger . 

The pots de creme are coming up next so stay tuned....

The rest of the evening is up to you!

Valentine's Day 2011 Menu

Scalloped Oysters

Alain Chavy Puligny Montrachet 2008

******

 

Filets Mignons With Roquefort Sauce

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

Haricots Vert

Prieure-Lichine (Margaux) 2004


******

Petit Pots de Creme Au Chocolat

*I get no remuneration from Sherry-Lehman for my recommendations

Table Setting Canadian Home And Country

Valentine's Day...Filets Mignon With Roquefort Sauce

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This is the perfect entree for Valentine' Day.  It's simple, fancy and quick.  The steaks cook in less than 10 minutes and the sauce takes no time at all.  Best of all, there is only one pan to wash! Finishing the fillets in the oven is the secret of professional chefs so you will indeed impress your love.

This recipe is for four so if you and your valentine have been around the block for a few years why not invite  your favorite couple and make it a foursome for dinner.  Have them bring the wine, preferably a vintage Bordeaux.  If you think about all the money you are saving by eating at home, you won't mind splurging on a good bottle, something that would be prohibitive for most of us these days at a good restaurant.   That's the trade off and in my mind, a good one!

Roasted fingerling potatoes and a simple green vegetable, like green beans,  is all you need to accompany.

Stay tuned for a great dessert...hint, it's chocolate!

Serves 4


Ingredients


4 (8-ounce) filet mignon

3 tablespoons olive oil

fleur de sel or plain salt

coarsely cracked black peppercorns

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup tawny port

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 lbs Roquefort Cheese, crumbled

2 tsps fresh chopped parsley


Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat a large, well-seasoned cast iron skillet over high heat until very hot, 5 to 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, pat the fillets dry with a paper towel and brush them lightly with vegetable oil. Season liberally with salt and pepper.

When the skillet is ready, add the fillets and sear them evenly on both sides for about 2-3 minutes per side.

Remove from the stove and place the skillet in the oven. Cook the steaks until they reach 125 degrees F for rare or 135 degrees F for medium-rare on an instant-read thermometer. (To test the steaks, insert the thermometer sideways to be sure you're actually testing the middle of the steak.)I like mine medium rare and usually cook in the oven for about 5 minutes.  But it all depends on the thickness of the steaks and your oven. Try to err on the rare side for remember they will continue to cook internally while they rest

Remove the steaks to a serving platter, cover loosely with aluminum foil and allow to rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile make the sauce:Add the garlic and port to the skillet and bring to a boil scraping with a wooden spoon any brown bits from the bottom.  Boil until reduced to 1/3 cup, about 2 minutes.  Whisk in the cream, bring to a boil, and reduce by half, another 2 minutes.  Add the cheese and whisk until it melts, another minute or so.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer the steaks to individual plates, spoon the sauce over them and serve at once.


Adapted from Williams Sonoma French

Antoine's Best Kept Secret...Oysters Rockefeller

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I was looking for a typical New Orleans recipe to celebrate the Saint's victory at last Sunday's Super Bowl when I came across this earth shattering revelation:  the original recipe for Oysters Rockefeller did not have spinach!   Antoine's, the renown New Orleans restaurant where the recipe was created in  1899 still guards the recipe to such an extent that it does not appear in their cookbook.  I was knocked off  my socks.  Did you know this? Am I, like the cheated wife, the last one to find out?

Oysters Rockefeller is a famous oyster dish served at many restaurants throughout the United States. The dish consists of oysters on the half-shell that have been topped with various other ingredients (often spinach or parsley, cheese, a rich butter sauce and bread crumbs) and are then baked or broiled.  Contrary to whatever you have heard before, the original recipe did not contain spinach!

Antoine's

 History

"Oysters Rockefeller was created at the New Orleans restaurant Antoine's. Antoine's was founded in 1840 by Antoine Alciatore, who moved to New Orleans after two frustrating years in New York to open a restaurant of his own. It is the country's oldest family-run restaurant. The dish was created in 1899 by Jules Alciatore, son of the restaurant's founder.

The Rex Room at Antoine's

The dish was named Oysters Rockefeller after John D. Rockefeller, the richest American at the time, for the richness of the sauce. The original recipe is a secret, the sauce is known to be a puree of a number of green vegetables other than spinach. It consists of oysters on the half-shell topped with the sauce and bread crumbs and then baked or broiled.  Jules Alciatore developed Oysters Rockefeller in the face of a shortage of French snails, substituting the locally available oysters for snails. Antoine's has been serving the original recipe dish since 1899. It is estimated that Antoine's has served over three million, five hundred thousand orders.

Antoine's Large Annex Room

Though many New Orleans restaurants serve dishes purporting to be Oysters Rockefeller, Antoine's claims that no other restaurant has been able to successfully duplicate the recipe. Knock-off versions of the dish have proliferated in New Orleans, developed to capitalize on the fame of Antoine's signature dish, but because the recipe for Oysters Rockefeller was passed down from the creator, Jules Alciatore of Antoine's to his children, and has apparently never left the family's hands, competing restaurants have had to formulate their own recipes.

Alton Brown of The Food Network series Good Eats states in the episode titled "Shell Game" that Jules Alciatore took the original recipe with him to the grave, and any version of the recipe that exists today is only an assumption, based on descriptions of the original dish. While many have achieved the trademark green color of the original — a color easily attainable by using spinach in the recipe — it is said that few get the flavor of Antoine's recipe right. Antoine's chefs have repeatedly denied that the authentic recipe contains spinach. A 1986 laboratory analysis by William Poundstone in Bigger Secrets indicated that the primary ingredients were parsley, pureed and strained celery, scallions or chives (indistinguishable in a food lab), olive oil, and capers.

Malcolm Hebert, native Louisianan, cookbook author and wine and food editor, also indicates that the original recipe did not have spinach  and takes issue with the addition of Herbsaint.  He claims that it is not possible that Herbsaint was in the original 1899 recipe, as it was first made in 1935. However, Pernod which is in many recipes easily pre-dates the year Oysters Rockefeller was created." (Wikipedia)

Wow, what is this world coming to. Next they are going to tell me there is no Santa Claus!

*******

I have now looked  through a bunch of recipes for Oysters Rockefeller searching for more clues  They all use mostly the same ingredients, butter, breadcrumbs, onions, Pernod, spinach, watercress, parsley.  Some add Parmesan cheese at the end and although I seriously doubt this was in the original, I think it adds a nice touch.

There is really nothing to it.  It is the perfect recipe if you want to impress that special someone. Winter is the time for the best oysters and Valentine's Day the perfect occasion.

Congratulations New Orleans Saints on a victory well deserved!

Oysters Rockefeller

Ingredients


4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup bread crumbs, Panko preferred

2 shallots, chopped

2 cups chopped fresh spinach

1/4 cup Pernod

Salt and pepper, to taste

Dash red pepper sauce (Tabasco)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1 tablespoon chopped chervil or parsley

2 dozen oysters, on the half shell

Rock salt

Lemon wedges, for garnish

Directions

Melt butter in a skillet. Saute the garlic for 2 minutes to infuse the butter. Place the bread crumbs in a mixing bowl and add half the garlic butter, set aside. To the remaining garlic butter in the skillet, add shallots and spinach, cook for 3 minutes until the spinach wilts. Deglaze the pan with Pernod. Season with salt and pepper, add a dash of red pepper sauce. Allow the mixture to cook down for a few minutes. Finish off the bread crumbs by mixing in olive oil, Parmesan and chervil, season with salt and pepper.* Spoon 1 heaping teaspoon of the spinach mixture on each oyster followed by a spoonful of the bread crumb mixture. Sprinkle a baking pan amply with rock salt. Arrange the oysters in the salt to steady them. Bake in a preheated 450 degree F oven for 10 to 15 minutes until golden. Serve with lemon wedges and red pepper sauce.

Make Ahead Note*: 

You can place both mixes in separate baggies and place in the refrigerator until ready to bake.  Go to the fishmonger that day, get him to shuck some oysters for you (talk him into giving you some crushed ice or rock salt) distribute the two mixes on top and bake.  Now, how easy can that be?

Recipe Source:  Tyler Florence

Valentine's Day...Dinner for Two

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I don't think there is anything more romantic than a Valentine's dinner at home.  Here's your chance to show off your domestic skills, if only for a day! Set a pretty table by the fireplace, if you have one, light the candles, pick the music you both like and plan a simple yet elegant dinner.  That is more appreciated these days than any present you could ever give.  The recipes are already on the blog and I've made sure they are also foolproof, including the souffle!  The gougeres can be baked early in the week and frozen and the souffle and some of the bernaise can be made early that day . Now, go ahead and make plans!

Valentine's Day Dinner

Gougeres & Champagne*

Filet Mignon With Pommes Frites & Bernaise

Salade Verte

Foolproof Chocolate Souffles

*If you want an additional hors d'oeuvre, go out and buy some nice pate and serve with crackers

The gougeres can be made and frozen early in the week

If you are thinking brunch for Valentine's Day, here's a cool and simple menu!

Photo:  Carolyne Roehm

Valentine's Day...Is He Up To It?

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Valentine's Day always  reminds me of a play I once saw on Broadway in the late 1980's.  M Butterfly, inspired by Puccini's Madame Butterfly, loosely depicts the affair, in the years before the Vietnam War, between a French diplomat attached to the French Embassy in Peking and an opera singer who is actually a man masquerading as a woman.   Unbeknownst to the diplomat, the singer is a spy for the Chinese government and uses the relationship to extract vital information.   He is sent back to France, divorces his wife, he/she follows, they resume the affair which lasts 20 years before the truth is discovered, he is convicted of treason and kills himself.  Phew, so there you have it in a nutshell...except that it is somewhat based on a true story!

The play has many dimensions and explores the stereotypes that underlie and distort relations between Eastern and Western culture and for the purposes of this post, between men and women.  Something  that I have never forgotten is a soliloquy by John Lithgow who portrays the diplomat, delivered towards the end of the play, explaining how he was fooled for so long .  I can't specifically remember the exact words, but the part that struck me the most went something like this: " She was a man's idea of what the perfect woman should be"  Who better indeed. And by now you are probably wondering what all this has to do with this post! Nothing more than this...

Here's a woman's idea of what her perfect Valentines Day gift should be:

Roses from Bloom, NYC

Everyday I Love You  notebook

from Smython's

Jo Malone Red Roses Cologne

Jo Malone Red Roses Bath Oil

(Oh the possibilities!)

A puppy! (only for a select few...

and you know who you are)

The Tiger Woods Special

You know perfectly well what this is...

now is as good a time as any...

...and make sure there's a full moon!

Now be prepared to give him his idea of what his perfect Valentine's gift should be! I have some suggestions on the next post...stay tuned!

Valentine's Day Truffles from La Maison du Chocolat

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Truffles are one of the easiest candies to make and probably one of the most expensive.  A box of 28 plain chocolate truffles at La Maison du Chocolat will set you back $43 and at Godiva, $65 will buy you 36 truffles.  Are you nuts? In this economy? If you are willing to spend a little time in the kitchen, wear disposable clothes and keep from scratching your nose while you roll these little babies in cocoa powder, then I can show you how to make them at home for a fraction of the cost.

Truffles are a simple ganache rolled in cocoa or whatever else you can think of, including nuts and powdered sugar.  This morning I saw a presentation in the local channel from the Cordon Bleu in Atlanta and it reminded me of this easy recipe, particularly now that Valentine's Day is just around the corner.

Save your money for something else like a nice bottle of Veuve Cliquot .  Good champagne is a must, no substitutes there. But DO use some good chocolate, preferably Valrhona. Now you can afford to.

Chocolate truffles are not just for Valentine's Day.  I like to set them at each end of the table in small silver bowls and have my guests enjoy them with coffee or with an extra glass of champagne. For a casual ladies lunch, I like to serve them with espresso, instead of dessert. They keep in the refrigerator for at least a couple of weeks, if not more.

Just so you see there is no secret to great truffles, I have printed two recipes,  my own and La Maison du Chocolat's.  The main difference is Linxe rolls them a second time in the ganache to make them last longer.  Mine fly out the window the minute they are set on the table so I've skipped that step and haven't noticed the difference, but it's up to you. just go make some!

Chocolate Truffles

Ingredients


For the ganache

8 ounces of semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate (high quality, 62% cacao or higher), well chopped into small pieces

1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract


Optional base flavorings:

 Cinnamon and cardamon (1 cinnamon stick, 2 cardamom pods)

Amaretto (1-2 tablespoons)

Almond extract (1 teaspoon)

Grand Marnier (1-2 TB)

Orange extract (1 tsp)

Rum (1-2 TB)

Truffle coatings

Cocoa powder

Powdered Sugar

Finely chopped walnuts

Finely chopped almonds

Method

1 In a small, heavy saucepan bring the heavy whipping cream to a simmer (this may take a while, be sure to stir and scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula every few minutes).

If you are using one of the other recommended flavorings, stir it in with the cream (and ignore vanilla in the next step). If adding mint or other solids, after the cream simmers, remove from heat and let seep for an hour. Then strain away solids, and return the cream to a simmer and proceed with recipe.

2 Place the chocolate in a separate bowl. Pour the cream over the chocolate, add the vanilla, and allow to stand for a few minutes then stir until smooth. (This chocolate base is called ganache.)

3 Allow to cool, then place in the refrigerator for two hours. Remove and with a teaspoon roll out balls of the ganache. Roll in your hands quickly (as it will melt from the heat of your hands) and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place in the refrigerator overnight.

4 Roll in cocoa powder or chopped nuts and serve, or place back in the refrigerator until needed.

Makes 30-40 chocolate truffles.

Robert Linxe’s (La Maison du Chocolat) Chocolate Truffles

Gourmet, February 2001

Makes about 60 truffles (Linxe says not to double the recipe).

Ingredients

11 ounces Valrhona chocolate (56% cacao)

2/3 cup heavy cream

Valrhona cocoa powder for dusting

Method

Finely chop 8 ounces of the chocolate and put in a bowl. Bring heavy cream to a boil in a small heavy saucepan. Make sure your pan is small, so you’ll lose the least amount of cream to evaporation, and heavy, which will keep the cream from scorching. Linxe boils his cream three times — he believes that makes the ganache last longer. If you do this, compensate for the extra evaporation by starting with a little more cream.

Pour the cream over the chocolate, mashing any big pieces with a wooden spoon.

Then stir with a whisk in concentric circles (don’t beat or you’ll incorporate air), starting in the center and working your way to the edge, until the ganache is smooth.  Let stand at room temperature until thick enough to hold a shape, about 1 hour, then, using a pastry bag with a 3/8-inch opening or tip, pipe into mounds (about 3/4 inch high and 1 inch wide) on parchment-lined baking sheets. When piping, finish off each mound with a flick of the wrist to soften and angle the point tip. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt 3 more ounces of the same Valrhona and smear some on a gloved hand. Gently rub each chilled truffle to coat lightly with chocolate. (The secret to a delicate coating of chocolate is to roll each truffle in a smear of melted chocolate in your hand. Linxe always uses gloves.)

Toss the truffles in unsweetened Valrhona cocoa powder so they look like their namesakes, freshly dug from the earth. A fork is the best tool for tossing truffles in cacao. Shake truffles in a sieve to eliminate excess cacao.

Store truffles in the refrigerator.

Gift wrapping ideas from Carolyne Roehm

Is the top one worth the extra money????